Project Name: / Circle City Learning Community Schools
Project Contact: / Jim Grim
Project Manager
(317) 459 – 0142
Mailing Address: / 1920 W. Morris St., Indianapolis, IN 46218
School District: / Indianapolis Public Schools
Project Sites: / § George Washington Community School
Partners: / § Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
§ Ivy Tech Community College
§ United Way’s “Bridges To Success”
Project Services: / § High quality early learning
§ Family engagement
§ Mentoring and youth development
§ Community service and service learning
§ Job training and career counseling services
§ Nutrition services and physical activities
§ Activities to support increased access to social services
§ Adult education and literacy services
Total (5-Year Funding): / $ 2,275,690.00
Project Summary:
Based on lessons learned as a 2008 FSCS grant recipient, research, 10 years of experience as a Community School working with Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, and extensive experience working with a multitude of partners in the pilot project, the Proposal Development Team (PDT-- community members, parents and youth organizations) knew they had to bring the feeder schools into the Community Schools network, targeting 2,324 students, 1,859 parent /family members, and 5,500 community members/year all un-duplicated. Upon a grant award, the PDT will morph into a Westside Community Advisory Council for on-going in-put/guidance. With a failing school system, a huge new influx of students from the Eastside, and a mean of 84% poverty, 70% minority, 31% native Spanish speakers and 20% Special Needs students in 5 schools, this Project will focus on the disenfranchised and marginalized communities to provide inclusion and equity. 3 Neighborhood Centers will anchor this unique private/ public comprehensive Community Schools expansion project, partnering with IUPUI, Ivy Tech Community College, and United Way’s “Bridges To Success” schools serving pre-K to post-secondary focusing on integrating services with existing projects. Services/activities were chosen by the PDT to meet needs and fill gaps, providing opportunities for the underserved on the Westside.